


Chickadee

by TinyPineTrees



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Babies, M/M, Modern AU, Parenthood, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-15 07:39:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18494398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyPineTrees/pseuds/TinyPineTrees
Summary: Where Alfie buys too many baby things and Tommy doesn’t want to put Charlie down. They’re working on it.





	Chickadee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [convenience](https://archiveofourown.org/users/convenience/gifts).



 

“That’s a papoose.”

 

“Yeah, saw it in a magazine, thought it’d be easier to carry Charlie around in. You said your arms were sore-”

 

“Alfie, I’m not wearing a papoose.”

 

“Well, I also got this too,” Alfie rummaged through his bags, tipping the largest one over and pulling out a long grey cloth. “It’s called a-”

 

“No.”

 

“You haven’t even looked at it!”

 

“No.”

 

“It’s called a wrap.” Alfie pinned him with a look, holding up the cloth.

 

Tommy tucked Charlie close under his neck, staring wide eyed as Alfie went on, pulling more baby items out of bags. He made a mental note not to let Alfie alone in baby shops anymore. It looked like he’d bought the whole damn store. Colorful and clunky baby toys were multiplying by the minute, cluttering their kitchen table.

 

“He doesn’t need all of this you know, he’s only 5 months old.”

 

“The doctor said he’s smart as a whip though.” Alfie grinned proudly, pulling out an elephant plushie. “Bright thing like him will be needing these soon enough.” He held up alphabet puzzles. Tommy tilted Charlie to one arm, picking through his collection skeptically.

 

“At this rate he’ll have more things than either of us have combined.” Tommy laid a hand on Alfie’s arm, pausing him in his sorting. “He’s only little Alfie,” He said gently.

 

“Well I’d give him the world if I could, but this’ll have to do for now.”

 

_What was Tommy supposed to say to that._

 

All Alfie wished for was to provide. He’d promised Tommy when they’d begun dating, ‘ _Anything you need’._ And again when he’d proposed, _‘if I can get it, you’ll have it.’_ He’d been over the moon when they'd heard about Charlie. Swearing up and down again, he’d have everything he needed. He won’t grow up like they had.

 

Tommy sighed, picking at the grey cloth. He’d seen them worn before, mostly with younger newborns though.

 

“He might be too big for this.” He said, holding up the wrap. Charlie huffed in his sleep, drooling on his shoulder. Now would be a bad time to try it on anyway, he’d just eaten and had fallen asleep barely 20 minutes ago.

 

“We don’t have to try it right now, I was thinking it would mostly be for around the house, you know?”

 

“Around the house?” Tommy asked.

 

“Yeah, around the house.” Alfie gave him a knowing look. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that his feet don’t touch the floor.” He quirked an eyebrow at him before peeking down at Charlie.

 

“Your discovery is shocking, especially given that he hasn’t learnt to walk yet.”

 

“He has a baby blanket he could lay on too,” Alfie picked up a teething toy, gently turning it between his hands. “Remember what the doctor said about Tummy Time? 20 minutes to half an hour a day, his words.”

 

Tommy scoffed self consciously. So sue him, he liked holding Charlie. He was calming. Charlie loved to be cooed over, spoken and played with. He made daily chores fly by and he listened when Tommy spoke, blinking very smartly at everything he said. And despite what Alfie thought, Tommy always put him down for Tummy Time. It was just the worst half hour of his day. 

 

“He spends plenty of time on his baby blanket.” _Exactly the recommended amount and not a minute more._

 

“I’m not criticizing love. I bought the wrap and the papoose, so your arms wouldn’t get so sore.” Alfie smiled gently. Charlie snuffled, pressing his face into Tommy’s collar. One little hand gripping the fabric tightly.

 

Tommy huffed. If it was just around the house, maybe it wouldn’t be _so_ bad. His arms did get sore. But Charlie would be too big soon, and then Tommy wouldn’t be able to hold him. He hadn’t ever thought he’d be the type to care so much about one aspect of fatherhood, but he couldn’t help it.

 

Alfie circled around the table, stopping next to them and leaning down to give Charlie a kiss. One of his hands creeping up to cradle Tommy’s head.

 

“I figure so long as we’re not impeding his growth, we’re probably doing alright.” He scratched lightly through his hair.

 

“I want to hold him.” Tommy whispered. “He’s safe with me, he’s safe and loved-”

 

“He’s going to know that. Really, he will.” Alfie said, sliding his arms down to hold them. “And I’m almost certain that even when he’s grown and you can’t physically pick him up anymore, he’ll still come find you for a cuddle.” His arms tightened around him, enunciating his point. “Lord knows what you’d be like if someone had given you a cuddle when you were little.”

 

He’d probably be healthier. If someone took the time to hug him and whisper loving things into his ears. He probably wouldn’t have spent the first four months of their relationship jumping when Alfie touched him. It wasn’t that touch was bad growing up. Arthur clapped him on the back plenty of times and John ruffled his hair. There just wasn’t much past those small touches though.

 

That’s why he needed Charlie, to know hugs were good. They were warm, and loving. Charlie would grow up in a warm house. A kind house where if they needed something, they could get it. Where if he cried, it was ok.

 

“Besides, with how smart he is, I don’t think we’ll have to teach him to go looking for love.” Alfie’s arms loosened.

 

“He is really smart isn’t he?” Tommy said smiling.

 

“A bleeding genius,” Alfie started piling stuffed animals over to one side, separating his purchases into more reasonable stacks. “Did you know, just the other day I was telling him about dogs right, Cyril and the like,” Tommy nodded, straightening up and helping him sort. “And I pointed to Cyril and I said ‘ _He’s a good boy,’_ Cause, well he is.” Cyril, who had been snoozing peacefully beneath their kitchen table, roused drowsily. “And Charlie, I swear to god, he saw Cyril and he very nearly said ‘G _ood boy’._ Smiled and everything, proudest moment yet.” Alfie said, hands excitedly gesturing.

 

“He nearly said ‘good boy?’” Tommy asked teasingly. If Charlie had actually said anything Alfie would’ve lost his shit, found the nearest cell phone to call Tommy and then everyone he knew.

 

“Well it sounded like it.”

 

“I bet it did.”

 

It was several days later that Tommy did in fact wear the grey wrap with Charlie. But only around the house. And everyone, _including Charlie_ , was sworn to secrecy about it.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment below! ❤️ Chickadee is the name of a children’s nursery rhyme about finding happiness, so I felt the title was appropriate. :) (or at least it’s the colloquial name?) and thank you so much @weeo for beta reading and helping with ideas!!!


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